The present invention relates to an electrical connector which is used to connect electronic components such as ICs (integrated circuits) having numerous pins to a circuit board, and more specifically relates to a ZIF (zero insertion force) type electrical connector which connects and separates contacts and pins of electronic components by a tool actuated slide member.
Recently, there has been a demand for improved performance in electronic components resulting in microprocessors having extremely large numbers of pins or leads.
In order to reduce the insertion force that must be applied to the pins in the mounting of such ICs ZIF connectors have been widely used for electrically connecting such ICs to circuit boards. Furthermore, slide members have been utilized in such connectors to engage and separate contacts and the pins of ICs from their respective sockets.
For example, the electrical connector shown in FIGS. 7 through 9 (see Japanese Patent Application Kokoku No. H2-54632) is a known as a conventional electrical connector of this type.
This electrical connector 100 comprises an insulating housing 110 which has a pair of partition walls 112 that rise from both sides of a base. A plurality of IC pin receiving holes 113 extend at a specified pitch along the insides of the respective partition walls 112 of the housing 110. A plurality of electrical contacts 120 are secured in these IC pin receiving holes 113. Each contact 120 has an retention barb 123 which is secured in the corresponding IC lead insertion hole 113, a pin section 121 which is connected to the circuit board (not shown in the figures), and a contact section 122 which resiliently contacts a pin. 141 of the IC 140. A protrusion 124 is also formed on the plate surface of each contact 120 in the vicinity of the contact section 122.
An insulating slide member 130 is disposed between the partition walls 112 and is movable along the pair of partition walls 112 of the housing 110 between a first position shown in FIG. 9(a) and a second position shown in FIG. 9(b).
When this slide member 130 is in the first position, the plurality of pins 141 disposed on the IC 140 are inserted into the IC pin receiving holes 113 of the housing 110. In this first position, as is shown in FIG. 9(a), the protruding parts 124 of the electrical contacts 120 are positioned inside the plurality of recesses 131 formed in both side walls of the slide member 130, and the pins 141 are not in contact with the contact parts 122 of the contacts 120. Accordingly, there is no load on the pins 141, so that the IC 140 is inserted with zero force.
On the other hand, when the slide member 130 is in the second position, as is shown in FIG. 9(b), portions of both side walls of the slide member 130 push the protruding parts 124 of the contacts 120 to the outside, so that the pins 141 contact the contact parts 122. The slide member 130 maintains this second position as a result of the contact force of a plurality of pairs of contact parts 122 whose protruding parts 124 contact both side walls of the slide member 130.
For the purpose of moving the slide member 130 between the first and second positions tool insertion recesses 114 and 132 are respectively formed in the base of the housing 110 and in the slide member 130. In the first position shown in FIG. 9(a), when a tool A such as a screwdriver is inserted into the tool insertion recesses 132 and 114 in that order, and this tool A is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 9(a), the slide member 130 is urged into the second position shown in FIG. 9(b). Likewise, in this second position, when the tool A is inserted into the tool insertion recesses 132 and 114 in that order, and this tool A is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 9(b), the slide member 130 is urged into the first position shown in FIG. 9(a).
However, a problem has been encountered in this conventional electrical connector 100. Specifically, in the second position of the slide member 130, the slide member 130 maintains this second position only by virtue of the contact force of a plurality of pairs of contact parts 122 which have protruding parts 124 that contact both side walls of the slide member 130. Accordingly, in the second position the slide member 130 may move if an impact or other unintended force is applied to the electrical connector 100. When this slide member 130 moves from the second position, faulty or intermittent contact may occur between the pins 141 of the IC 140 and the contact parts 122 of the contacts 120.
Accordingly, the present invention was devised in order to address this problem and an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector in which the slide member is securely locked in a position in which the pins of the electronic component and the contacts of the electrical connector are in contact, so that there is no movement of the slide member caused by impacts.
The electrical connector of the present invention application comprises numerous contacts that are connected to a circuit board, a base housing in which the contacts are inserted and held, and a slide member which has a plurality of terminal insertion holes into which a plurality of pins of an electronic component are inserted. This slide member is disposed so that it can be moved between a first position and a second position over the base housing. The pins are inserted into the terminal insertion holes when the slide member is in the first position, and the pins that have been inserted into the terminal insertion holes contact the contacts when the slide member is in the second position. A locking member is disposed on the base housing so that this locking member can move between an open position and a locking position perpendicular to the direction of movement of the slide member. The locking member is positioned in the open position when the slide member is in the first position, the locking member moves to the locking position to contact the slide member and prevent movement of the slide member when the slide member is in the second position. An engaging part disposed on the upper surface of the locking member engages the tool that is used to move the locking member.